During the construction of a conventional building, various structural components are assembled together to form a structural frame. Typically, on-site, each individual structural component is cut to size and then connected to each other by welds, bolts, screws, and/or nails. However, this cutting and joining process is quite labour intensive and requires people with considerable skill to carry out. Further, once the structural frame is assembled, it is often difficult or impossible to disassemble the structural frame such that the structural components can be reused. It is also often difficult to connect additional structural components to the assembled structural frame.
Given the ever increasing cost of labour/materials and the increasing demand for buildings, there is a need for structural components that can be easily and quickly assembled together by people with relatively little skill. There is also a need for structural components that can be readily assembled and disassembled so that they can be reused. There is also a need for structural components that, once assembled, allow for additional structural components to be readily connected thereto. There is also a need for structural components to be readily fabricated and prefinished in a factory using robotic technology. There is also a need for structural components that allow or enable buildings to be readily designed and ordered via a web based system. There is also a need for structural components that allow for sustainable building.